U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
email: irin@ocha.unon.org
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Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


Central and Eastern Africa
IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 24
10 - 16 June 2000



CONTENTS:

DRC: Rwanda, Uganda react strongly to sanctions threat
DRC: Continuing tension between armies in Kisangani
DRC: Markets slowly reopening in Kisangani
BURUNDI: Mandela leaves without accord on prisoner release
BURUNDI: Arusha committee to meet next week
RWANDA: Archbishop Misago acquitted
UGANDA: Fighting in west
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: Peace agreement due to be signed
ETHIOPIA: 10 million Ethiopians at risk from drought crisis
SUDAN: Ethiopian military personnel in Kassala state
SOMALIA: Conference stage of Djibouti peace talks opens


DRC: Rwanda, Uganda react strongly to sanctions threat

Rwanda and Uganda have reacted strongly to a statement by UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommending sanctions if the two countries
fail to withdraw their troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
They said the resolution, if adopted, could lead to the collapse of the
Lusaka agreement. "To go ahead and suggest that we should withdraw from
Congo when the Lusaka agreement clearly details the withdrawal schedule of
all foreign troops, is a sign of bad faith," Rwandan army spokesman
Emmanuel Ndahiro told IRIN on Thursday. "This is not a new thing to us,
the UN was here at the time of genocide and it ordered the withdrawal of
its troops and what happened?" he said. "We shall not leave until the
security of our borders is guaranteed." 

The Ugandan army spokesman, Major Phineas Katirima, for his part, told
IRIN that good faith should prevail in the debate of Annan's proposal to
the Security Council. "They should take into account the situation on the
ground before rushing into any decision," he noted. "In Uganda's case we
have already withdrawn from Kisangani, our forces are at Kapalata 11 km
away and we shall continue to withdraw further to Banalia in a few days," 
Katirima said. Meanwhile, the Rwanda backed RCD-Goma termed Annan's
recommendations to the Security Council "detestable and unacceptable and a
renewed violation of the Lusaka accord to which it reaffirms its strongest
commitment," rebel-controlled radio Goma said. The Council was due to
adopt a resolution on Friday. 

DRC: Continuing tension between armies in Kisangani

Humanitarian sources told IRIN that tension between Ugandan and Rwandan
armies in the northeastern city of Kisangani still exists after a week of
heavy fighting that led to the death of hundreds of people and destruction
of property. "The UPDF commanders have expressed concern about the heavy
presence of the RPA in town and are demanding that they withdraw to
positions agreed upon in the demilitarisation plan," a source said.  "They
have made it clear that if the RPA uses humanitarian planes for military
purpose they will be shot down." 

Ugandan army spokesman Major Phineas Katirima told IRIN that the Ugandan
army has decided to unilaterally withdraw from all positions near town,
beginning on Friday. "We have decided to withdraw our forces to Banalia
100 km away from Kisangani.  Within a week our withdrawal will be
complete," he noted. "It is up to MONUC to ensure that everybody respects
the demilitarisation plan." 

DRC: Markets slowly reopening in Kisangani

With the ceasefire still holding, markets are slowly reopening in certain
areas of Kisangani. According to the latest report by the humanitarian
agencies' task force, aid workers have been able to carry out their
activities without any hindrance and have been able to move around the
city freely.  ICRC is looking at the problems of unexploded ordinance,
which humanitarian workers said was causing great concern. The Rwandan
Patriotic Army is still in control of the city centre, and occupies both
airports of Simi-Simi and Bangboka. The Ugandan army is still in the
Kapalata area, to where it withdrew on Saturday. 

Regarding population movements in Kisangani, the task force said these
revolved around two major axes. According to OCHA, there are some 50,000
internally displaced people in the North Buta-Tshopo area, and a further
35,000 on the Bafwasende-Bangboka axis. Further assessment on the nature
of the movements is required, as some people are moving back and forth
from Kisangani (for example to the markets), the task force report noted. 
By Wednesday, the total number of displaced people at 13 sites within the
city had reached 12,500. 

BURUNDI: Mandela leaves without accord on prisoner release

Peace mediator Nelson Mandela ended his three-day visit to Burundi on
Wednesday with the issue of freedom for political prisoners still
unresolved, the Hirondelle news agency reported. "We didn't agree but we
are going to continue to discuss the issue to find a solution," he told a
news conference in Bujumbura before leaving. Mandela was shocked by
conditions at Bujumbura's central prison when he visited it on Monday,
describing them as "unfit for human habitation". President Pierre Buyoya
welcomed Mandela's visit as a "very important step in the peace process". 
"It is very important that Mandela, the facilitator, came to listen to the
people of Burundi, to talk to them, to listen to the fears, worries and
emotions surrounding the peace process," he said. "I think it is very
important for what will come next". The Arusha peace process is due to
resume next month, and Mandela has said he is confident the rebel CNDD-FDD
and FNL groups will attend. 

BURUNDI: Arusha committee to meet next week

Delegates of Committee Five of the Arusha peace process - dealing with
implementation guarantees of a future peace accord - are due to meet in
the northern Tanzanian town on Monday, Hirondelle news agency reported. 
The Committee was due to meet on 12 June, but the date was put back
because of Mandela's visit to Burundi. 

RWANDA: Archbishop Misago acquitted

The bishop of Gikongoro, Augustin Misago, was acquitted by the Kigali
court of first instance on Thursday on genocide charges, the Hirondelle
news agency reported. The presiding judges ruled that the prosecution
failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Misago committed the alleged
crimes, and ordered the archbishop's immediate release. Prosecutors had
been asking for the death penalty. The archbishop has been held in
detention since April 1999. Following his release, Misago told the Vatican
news agency FIDES he would go to Rome to personally thank the Pope for his
support. The agency described him as ill, tired, and out of breath when he
tried to speak.  "Fourteen months in prison is difficult for an innocent
man," Misago told the news agency by telephone. However, he said he hoped
he would be able to return to his diocese next week. He added that he
hoped his experience would serve the cause of peace and reconciliation in
Rwanda, and he thanked the judges for their "impartiality and courage". 

Rwandan Prosecutor General Gerald Gahima expessed disappintment over the
verdict, but said they would appeal. However, he added that the case
"shows that the justice system in this country works contrary to what
outsiders think". 

UGANDA: Fighting in west

The Ugandan army is battling rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) 
in western Uganda, according to army spokesman Major Pheneas Katirima. "We
got intelligence reports that Rogers Kabanda, one of the ADF leaders, was
hiding at a place called Rugesi near Mwtaga on the Congo side, " he said. 
"We attacked the camp by shelling until dusk and continued hitting them
the next day, and dislodged them." He claimed five rebels were killed. He
said the rebels had attacked a displaced people's camp, "but have not
managed to cause general insecurity in the area". 

ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: Peace agreement due to be signed

Eritrean Presidential Adviser Yemane Gebremeskel has said an OAU-brokered
peace accord to end its war with Ethiopia would be signed on Sunday in
Algeria, which holds the rotating presidency of the OAU, news
organisations reported on Thursday. The agreement was hammered out over 12
days of indirect talks in Algiers, during which the war continued. The
peace proposal was accepted by Ethiopia on Wednesday, its Council of
Ministers "realising that it complies with the principles and conditions
enunciated earlier by Ethiopia", according to a government statement. The
proposed plan involves an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of
international peacekeepers in a 25km buffer zone inside Eritrea along the
contested border until international arbitrators demarcated the 1,000 km
border, the BBC reported. UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said on Monday that a
planning mission from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations was on
standby to discuss a possible UN role. An advance Italian military and
diplomatic team was due in Eritrea on Thursday to assess the situation on
the ground. The Eritrean government said in a press statement the same day
the OAU agreement must be signed and its enforcement verified "in the
shortest possible time". 

ETHIOPIA: 10 million Ethiopians at risk from drought crisis

The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Ethiopia on Monday appealed for US $193.4
million to assist 10 million drought-affected people. This was part of a
broader UN Emergency Drought Appeal for US $378 million for a total of
13.4 million people in the region. The UNCT said insufficient or outright
absence of rains for three consecutive years and crop failure had
exhausted the coping mechanisms of already vulnerable populations.
Rangeland deterioration, over-population and poor market facilities have
also intensified the crisis in Ethiopia.  Worst affected were the pastoral
communities in the Somali Regional State, Borena Zone, and South Omo Zone,
it added. "Generous donor support is absolutely essential if we are to
avert the current crisis from degenerating into widespread famine", said
Manuel Aranda da Silva, UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the
Drought in the Horn of Africa.  Drought-alleviation and development
projects have had funding curtailed while the Ethiopian-Eritrean war
brought an increase in military expenditure, according to an international
report on Ethiopia's economic prospects cited by the BBC. The draft
report, prepared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
international donors, said that while defence spending had risen, funding
for health and education had declined, and essential projects starved of
funds. 

SUDAN: Ethiopian military personnel in Kassala state

A group of Ethiopians, including some military personnel, has been in
Kassala state since the end of May and appeared to be talking to Eritrean
refugees in an attempt to persuade them to join the Eritrean opposition,
humanitarian sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Eritrean presidential
spokesman Yemane Gebremeskel told IRIN that "about 2,000" Ethiopian troops
had been helped by being allowed access to Tameret in eastern Sudan,
although he "didn't think it was official government policy". In a
separate development, the Sudanese authorities released several hundred
Eritrean soldiers detained after they crossed the border with civilian
refugees. A UNHCR spokesperson told IRIN that these soldiers, who had been
disarmed on arrival in Sudan, were now being allowed to join the civilians
in the refugee camps. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, who
is visiting the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region, travelled to
Kassala from Khartoum on Monday to visit the camps for Eritrean refugees.
Ogata spent two hours at Gulsa and Lafa camps, according to a UNHCR
spokesperson.  "I will do my best to help those among you who want to
return home," the Associated Press (AP) quoted her as telling the
refugees. 

SOMALIA: Conference stage of Djibouti peace talks opens

The Somalia National Peace Conference opened on Thursday after completing
its consultative phase. Since early May clan elders have been meeting to
chose lists of delegates for the conference phase of the peace process,
which is taking place in Arta, some 35 km south of the capital Djibouti.
At the closing session of the elders meetings on 13 June, a "General
Agreement"  was formally approved. It consisted of six points:  1. Peace
and reconciliation should be reached among all clans in general and
specifically among those with ongoing conflict.  2. The Somali people
should form an all-inclusive Somali government 3. The unity of Somalia is
sacrosanct.  4.  All assets, fixed or non-fixed, national or private,
confiscated during the civil war, should be returned to their rightful
owners in a process to be overseen by the newly-formed government.  5. 
Human rights should be respected and protected.  6. The international
community is requested to assist the Somali peace process taking place at
Arta, Republic of Djibouti, and to recognise the government that will be
formed. 

Sources close to the meeting told IRIN that the conference was expected to
focus on decentralised structures of government, the special status of
Mogadishu, elections, and the choosing of a cabinet, parliament and
government leadership. Representatives of all clans are reported to be
present at the peace process, although some faction leaders and autonomous
administrations have opposed it. The self-declared republic of Somaliland
in the northwest of the country on Friday said the Djibouti conference was
hostile to it, undermining its "integrity and sovereignty", and that
Somalia would "react aggressively" if it established an administration
that sought to include it as part of Somalia. Meanwhile, the international
community is busy analysing potential scenarios and assessing its level of
preparedness for the potential annoucement of a new government of Somalia
in July or soon after, humanitarian sources told IRIN. Italy has also
established a new, informal donors' forum in anticipation of a new
political situation in Somalia, they added. 

Nairobi, 16 June 2000


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